Strolling along St. Clair

Looks like some sort of digital collage, doesn't it? It isn't. It's an iPhone shot I took today (edited with the Lo-Mob app to give it the grungy edge), shooting from the sidewalk into a beauty salon. It was a very pleasant sight -- there were spring flowers planted in window boxes outside the shop's window, along with other plantings, a very cool aqua bicycle just inside the shop, and the sun shining in caused the french text lettered on the salon's window to reflect on the apple-green sofa in front of the bike.

More iPhone shots from today's stroll on St. Clair Avenue West:

An APPetite

No surfboards for us today. It is snowing in Toronto. Heavily. The weather report a couple of days ago claimed we would get light snow today, that wouldn't stick. Hah! It looks like Christmas outside......which is why I'm staying inside.

Since returning from our winter getaway, I've been checking out new apps for my iPhone. And, surprise surprise, they are not all photographic ones -- although my favourite new app is Instagram. And it's free! One of Instagram's features is the ability to share photos, but that's not why I like it; I love the filters it lets you apply to your shots. The above image was created using Instagram, as was the one below. If you love your iPhone's camera, this is a must-have app.





By the way, that's a Frownie. It's green in honour of St. Patrick's Day, and was mint-flavoured, but normally a Frownie features chocolate icing. King's Family Restaurants is, I believe, a small chain of restaurants in Pennsylvania and that's where we stopped for lunch early this month, just south of Pittsburgh, when we were on our journey home from Florida; Frownies are their specialty. It was delicious.

Back to the apps. MapQuest 4 Mobile is another new favourite of mine, similar to the MapQuest web site I'm sure you've used many times. This app lets you find gas stations, restaurants, lodging etc., but I downloaded it for its ability to provide both driving and walking directions for any routes you want; it will even tell you where to go, just like the GPS you use in your car. Pretty valuable for a free app, wouldn't you say?

Speaking of free apps, and I do mean speaking, don't miss Merriam-Webster Dictionary. This freebie features a dictionary that not only gives you definitions but also provides synonyms, just like a thesaurus. And my favourite feature? You can speak your word rather than type it, which is perfect when you're not sure of a word's spelling. It also has a voice feature giving you a word's proper pronunciation. Neat.

Instant Heart Rate is another free app I've been using. For me, it's ideal, as I have a terrible time finding my own pulse. With this app, you cover the iPhone's camera lens with the tip of your finger and it picks up your pulse from that. There is a paid version with more features, but the freebie suits me just fine.

Finally, an app that's not thrilling me. Sleep Pillow Ambiance is a free app that claims to be a white noise machine. This interested me as I've determined that one of the reasons I sleep so well when we're in Florida is the constant sound of the ocean waves hitting the shore. White noise machines are expensive so I downloaded this app to try and, well, it's a good thing it's free. To me, the app's ocean waves sound doesn't remind me of the ocean at all; it sounds just like water in a bathtub. It certainly doesn't make me sleepy!

Any new iPhone apps that are your favourites? I'd love to hear about them.

And then there was spring

It's chilly here in Toronto, but it's the day that spring arrives so it's definitely a happy-dance day. To usher in the new season, I wanted to share a photoshop experiment with you.

Please have a look at the crocuses above, and then swing on over to Elemenopea and have a look at the image there ... then please come back. I'll wait.

..........

Ah, you're back. The two images appear to be the same, yet they're also obviously different. Both pieces of artwork were created using the exact same photograph and the exact same textures. The image you see above was cropped before the textures were added and did have a Dry Brush filter applied as the very last step, after all the layers were flattened.

The crop is obvious and the Dry Brush filter is not. But here's the thing. The same textures were used, in the same order and with the same layer blending modes. So why the difference? Two things. I altered the opacity of the different texture layers plus I played with the lightness, hue and saturation of each texture. And with three textures in this piece of art, this leads to a dizzying array of possibilities.

So when you're experimenting with your digital artwork creations, please don't take textures just at face value. Vary the blending modes when you apply a texture, play with the opacity, and check out the other settings too. I hope you'll come to see that textures offer you a world of creativity.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to briefly brave the chilliness to see if this year's crocuses are popping up yet.

The end of an era

We always said we would drive it until it died. Well, we did. Because it did.

The captain was downtown on Tuesday afternoon and, about two blocks from his destination, our Big Blue Beast (also known as our Astro van) ground to a halt. Literally. First there was a grinding noise, I was told, and then the car just lost all power. It was towed to our mechanic and then we awaited the news.

It wasn't good. Our Big Blue Beast's heart had finally ceased to beat. Or, in less romantic terms, the engine died.

We've experienced a lot with our BBBeast. It was absolute perfection for a road trip, with lots of room inside. It's taken us all over Ontario, down to Buffalo more times than I could ever possibly count, down to Indiana to visit family many times, and safely transported us to Florida and back five times. It's helped our son move out, then back in, then back out again. Terra loved riding in it; Tippi would always eagerly jump in too. It's enabled me to go to everything from yard sales to Ikea without worrying about how I would schlep something home. It sat high and proud on the road and, for a drive-by shooter like myself, enabled wonderful views of all the passing scenery.

This was an aging beauty; it had begun to rust, quite badly in spots, and the upholstery was really showing its age. We bought it, used, back in June, 2000. It's a '93 and I really was hoping it would make 20 years on the road, but that was not to be. Its final mileage: 322,147.3 kilometres. That's something!

Parts of our BBBeast will live on, as an organ donor if you will. Our mechanic also drives an Astro and so has bought ours, to salvage what parts he can, for use with his own vehicle. The captain pried the logo (what you see, above) out of the dash before turning the keys over to the mechanic, to bring home to me. He knew I wanted it.

So now we are back to being a one-car family. Sure, this will save us money on gas and insurance, but I really wish my BBBeast was still in the driveway. Rest In Peace; you were a great vehicle.

A way to help, if you're able

My good friend Marie Otero has an amazing offer on her blog today, which will interest any of you who would like to contribute to the relief efforts for Japan but don't know how. She is selling prints of this beautiful image, The Lost Geisha, with all profits going to the Red Cross to aid the victims of the horrendous earthquake that occured a few days ago.

Please ... fly on over to her blog and order one. Click HERE to go directly to her blog post with this offer. Not only will you receive a stunning Lost Aussie print, but you'll also be helping those in need.

Marie: thank you and bravo!

News from Japan

In 1969, I met Donna Reddick in Ottawa, in Geography class. I was new to the school and mistakenly took her seat on my first day. We've been friends ever since. Oh, we can go for a long time without contacting each other, but that doesn't negate the friendship whatsoever. In the 1970s, her father was transferred to Japan and so her family moved there, where she fell in love with the country. After a short time, her father was transferred back to North America, but she never lost her love of Japan. Many years ago, she moved back there, for good.

We haven't corresponded for a while, but when the news started coming out of Japan yesterday about the horrific 8.9 earthquake, my thoughts went to her. I was filled with dread. I emailed her, hoping against hope that she would receive my message.

She did. And she is fine. She writes, "Believe what you're seeing on TV. It is horrendous. I'm fortunate enough to live in Yokohama away from the massive destruction...it could have been here though. It can happen anywhere in this country."

I am so glad my friend is well but so many others are not so fortunate. I must say, at times like these the problems of everyday life seem so petty.

Home

HOME.
We are home.
I am adjusting to the return to normalcy, but it hasn't been easy. We have been back for several days but I have yet to unpack every suitcase, empty every bag. I have downloaded the photographs from only one of my three cameras. Familiar routines are returning, albeit slowly. As always, the small things delight...my own pillow, my own kitchen, my own easy chair. Such are the comforts of home.

We are no longer "homeward bound" but yet, this song always pops into my mind when I think of "home". Turn up your speakers and play this loud; it's a wonderful live performance by one of the best duos ever, singing one of their best songs ever.
Enjoy.

Signs along the way

Soon, soon. Soon we'll be home. This is just a wee peek at what we've seen on the homeward journey.